SPOTLIGHT hematology-related accounts , such as Michael Makris , MD , a hemophilia expert . I enjoyed reading his Tweets about the new drug discoveries and trial data he was hearing about at these amazing international meetings . It was awesome to see these new data through the lens of someone with much more experience and expertise than me .
I ’ ve written manuscripts with people based on ideas that came from social media . We ’ ve done survey research using social media . We ’ re starting an international registry using
“ Growing up , I knew that [ my mom ] worked more hours than my friends ’ parents , which was difficult at times , but I always understood that her work was important .”
— Angela C . Weyand , MD
Around that time , I started using Twitter in a more professional capacity , following more medical accounts and reading through Tweetorials , which are basically just threads of Tweets in which you can expound on any topic . I felt like this type of communication matched my learning style . And , because we have so many fun topics and mysteries in hematology , writing Tweetorials is an easy way to get a broader audience excited about hematology .
I posted my first Tweetorial in December 2019 and have done several more since , on topics ranging from coagulopathy of COVID-19 to racism in the care of patients with sickle cell disease . I ’ m always amazed by their reach . My COVID-19 Tweetorial was seen by almost 400,000 people worldwide , which is probably way more than most of the peer-reviewed articles I ’ ve published .
In the fall of 2020 , I started getting more requests from people on Twitter to write Tweetorials on specific topics . I had the idea that I could use these requests as an easy way to raise money for good causes . So , I started contests where the winner – whoever donated the most money – could pick my next Tweetorial topic . As a result , Paula James , MD , and I co-wrote a manuscript on the winning topic she suggested , sexism in the management of bleeding disorders .
I held another contest in December 2020 , this time encouraging participants to form teams , taking advantage of the fact that physicians in general are competitive , especially between specialties . If I held a team competition , I figured I could raise more money . We ended up raising more than $ 360,000 in less than a week , which was donated to anti-hunger organizations . # HCWvsHunger is now an annual event and I ’ m hoping we raise even more this year .
Using Twitter professionally was never something that I had set out to do or considered . Now , social media . There are so many possibilities .
I also think it can be helpful for patient and public education . For example , I often Tweet about women ’ s hematology issues , such as iron deficiency and normal menstrual periods . I ’ ve had so many people reach out to me to thank me , because one of my Tweets was the impetus for them to reach out to their doctor about treatment for their heavy periods or iron deficiency . It ’ s great to think that , as my following gets bigger , I can reach more and more people who might benefit from what I Tweet .
It ’ s been an unexpected yet positive experience . There have been so many professional benefits . I recently started as an associate editor at the American Journal of Hematology , focusing on social media , collaborations , and publications .
Tell us about your life outside of medicine – what are your hobbies ? What do you do in your off-hours ? I love spending time with my two daughters , who are 5 and 7 years old . At this age , they ’ re able to do more activities , so I ’ m trying to get them into tennis , which is a lifelong hobby of mine . I love to read , travel , and try new foods and restaurants . I have a horrible sweet tooth and fortunately ( or unfortunately , depending on how you look at it ), I love to bake .
Travel is typically a huge part of our lives , but less so during the pandemic . My favorite trips have been to Australia , New Zealand , Fiji , and
Dr . Weyand as a toddler with her mother ( top ) and with her own young daughters today .
Barcelona . We usually spend time each summer at a family cottage on Lake Huron in Canada , but haven ’ t been able to go the past two years due to the pandemic . This past summer , we took an East Coast road trip to visit family and friends .
What is one thing most people don ’ t know about you ? Prior to having my two daughters , I was a bit of an adventure-seeker . Between graduating from Northwestern and starting medical school , I bungee jumped in New Zealand and skydived in Chicago . I swam with sharks in Hawaii , went canyoning in Switzerland , backpacked around Europe , and did all kinds of fun things that I probably wouldn ’ t do now . Now , my daughters provide all the adventure I need , so I don ’ t think I ’ ll go back to bungee jumping . Thinking back on it now , maybe having two children during fellowship was the craziest thing I ’ ve done . It ’ s a whole different ball game . ●
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